The referee stood firm, his expression stony. He pointed to the corner flag, indicating a goal kick or a corner, it didn't matter. His decision was final, and he wasn't going to be moved by the protests of twenty-year-olds.
[> "The referee says no penalty," <] Peter Walsh noted, his tone one of pure bewilderment. [> "Rising Stars feel hard done by, and frankly, so do I. That looked like a stone-cold penalty from every angle." <]
On the touchline, Eric Maddox felt something inside him snap. He had spent a lifetime in football, seen every kind of incompetence, but this felt personal. It felt like the world of this parallel reality was actively conspiring against him. He lunged toward the fourth official, his face turning a dangerous shade of crimson.
"THAT'S A FUCKING PENALTY!" he yelled, the words tearing from his throat. "YOU'VE GIVEN THEM ONE FOR NOTHING! YOU'VE ROBBED US!"
